Liverpool have sold a fair few members of their squad this summer.
It was clear at the end of last season that changes needed to be made among Arne Slot’s squad, but nobody could have anticipated how many transfers were actually made by the Reds.
Liverpool spent over £400million on bolstering their ranks, but due to the number of players they ended up selling, they ended up having a net spend of just over £200million.
Some exits this summer, such as Caoimhin Kelleher’s and Darwin Nunez’s, were expected, but others certainly took fans by surprise.
And, even though most of the Reds’ transfer business was done by deadline day, there were still some surprises in store.
Tyler Morton has sent a farewell message to Harvey Elliott
One player who nobody expected to exit on deadline day was Harvey Elliott.
The midfielder has been attracting interest all summer, but when RB Leipzig couldn’t meet Liverpool’s fee, most expected the Englishman to stay put.
In the end, however, Aston Villa swooped in and prised the 22-year-old away from Anfield on an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy worth £35million.
And, as his exit was only confirmed late on Monday evening, some fans may have been waking up to find out he’s gone.
In Villa’s announcement of Elliott via Instagram, the midfielder’s former teammate, Tyler Morton, sent a farewell message to his fellow countryman.
“Buzzing for you mate, go and enjoy your footy,” he wrote.
Harvey Elliott will be a massive miss at Liverpool
Although Slot didn’t give Elliott much playing time last season, when called upon, he’s often performed to a high standard.
The Englishman was Jurgen Klopp’s star boy, with the German often finding ways to shoehorn him into his starting XI.
And, before the £125million transfer of Alexander Isak from Newcastle was announced, many expected Elliott to be kept around due to the versatility he brings to the table.
However, since the arrival of the Sweden international would have likely pushed the midfielder even further down the pecking order, it’s clear that he had to make a move.
On paper, joining Unai Emery’s men seems like a brilliant next step for his career, but, unless the Villans can find their goal-scoring boots again, it could end up being a tough season for the youngster.
That is, especially if Elliott is the one Villa are relying upon to create their moves.
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